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Department of the Potomac 

Woitian's 



Corps 



Washington, D. C. 



AS 

T4L 



Sons Amer.r cv-i.1 ;■ 



-J) 
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ANNA M. HAMILTON, President. 

I. W. BALL, Secretary. 

MATTIE E. :McCLURE, Treasurer. 

ELIZABETH C. MONTIS, Senior Vice President. 

RUTH E. ROBERTS, Junior Vice President. 

MARY M. NORTH, Chaplain. 

S. M. ROSE, Instituting and Installing Officer. 

ANNA A. PECK, Inspector. 



KXKCUTIVE BOARD. 

ALICE BURGESS, A. V. TOMPKINS, 

A. G. DICKERSON, E. J. FORDHAM, 

E. S. CHASE. 



WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS, DEPARTMENT OF THE 
POTOMAC. 

The Woman's Relief Corps is the aftermath of the Aid Socie- 
ties and the Christian and Sanitary Commissions, and is as necessary 
now as were those organizations during the great rebellion. The^^ 
were born of the war — the Woman's Relief Corps of the condition.s 
which followed. It is founded upon the broad plane of Christian 
humanity, its motto — Fraternity, Charity, and I^oyalty — being the 
watchword of its workers. 

The Department of the Potomac W. R. C. numbers nine corps 
of earnest, loyal women, devoted to the work of assi-sting the needy, 
wherever found, but especially mindful of the " Union veteran and 
his dependent ones. ' ' They are in full sympathy with the Posts to 
which they are auxiliary, and energetic and far-reaching in efforts 
to provide employment and help for the unfortunate. And here let 

5 



it be stated that it is seldom that a Grand Army comrade is in need 
of assistance from the Relief Corps. The men composing that bod\- 
are, as a rule, enterprising and able to care for themselves and their 
families. Even when so unfortunate as to lose positions under the 
Government, they have proved tlieir ability to "turn an honest 
penny" in other ways. Among the comrades in this Department 
are many who are distinguished iti official and social life, wealthy 
and prosperous, yet ever ready to assist those with whom the}- 
" tented on the old camp ground." 

The beneficiaries of the Relief Corps are more frequently vet- 
erans who do not belong to the Grand Army. Many applicants for 
pensions and employment come to this city, and while waiting often 
become penniless and despondent. It is then that the Relief Corps 
comes to the rescue and provides food and shelter and oftentimes 
transportation to their distant homes. 

The widows and orphans of deceased soldiers are cared for, and 
special effort is made to provide employment adapted to their re- 
quirements. 

The loving service of placing floral tributes on the graves of our 

honored dead on each recurring Memorial Day is one of the beautiful 

6 



requirements of our order, and in this, as in all else, we go hand in 
liand with the Grand Army of the Republic. At Arlington the 
Woman's Relief Corps leads in the work of decoration, and desig- 
nates committees for duty at the cemeteries at the Soldiers' Home, 
the neighboring cities of Alexandria, Fredericksburg and Culpeper, 
and for the isolated graves in the adjacent districts. On the day 
preceding Ma}' 30 the ladies assemble and weave garlands and wreatlis 
of laurel and pine, with which to decorate the statues of the heroes 
which adorn the public grounds of the City of Washington. There 
are sixty or more of these statues, each of \\-hich is draped with flags 
and hung with evergreens and flowers. The flowers are largely' the 
offerings of the children of the public .schools. 

The Grand Arm}- is being recruited beyond the shores of time. 
A few years hence and the la.st remaining comrade will have passed 
awa}'. Then will the work of the Woman's Relief Corps be finished. 
We shall leave our charters, our rituals and badges as a heritage to 
our daughters, together with the solenui trust to keep green the 
graves and memories of the Grand Army of the Republic. 

KATHERINE McMONIGAL. 



PATRIOTISM IN THE SCHOOLS. 

The importance of teaching patriotism in the schools of the 
country cannot be overestimated. 

We are all familiar with the enthusiasm manifested b}' children 
at sight of the national flag and their ardent desire to number one 
among their personal possessions. Among the millions of children in 
attendance at the schools of our country there will be found scarcel}' 
one who will fail to respond to sentiments of patriotism and to ex- 
press admiration and reverence for the flag. The result of a .sj-stem 
of teaching which should include the Flag Drill and Salute would be 
the going forth from the open doors of our school houses into the 
world of business and society millions of young men and women fa- 
miliar with the principles of our Government and a deepl>' rooted love 
and loyalty to both the Government and the flag. 

There is an oft expressed regret that few flags float above tlie 

9 



school liouses of the vSouth, and the feeling prevails that there are 
many difliculties to overcome before such a result can be obtained. 

It was mj^ fortune a few years ago to be a sunniier boarder at the 
home of an ex-Confederate in one of the picturesque counties of 
southwestern ^'irginia ; a region famed for devotion to the conditions 
which existed before the civil war, and doubtful regard, to put it 
mildly, for northerners. 

The Fourth of July was approaching. To nn- surpri.se I was 
requested to teach little Bobb}- a little piece to be " .spoken " at the 
celebration to l)e held at the church .several miles distant on the 
Fourth. The ' ' little piece " proved to be a verse of a stage pla)' enti- 
tled " Tlie Flags of all Nations," and little Bobl)3''s part was des- 
criptive of Brazil and her flag. 

The da}' came and I went to the church with fear and trembling. 
Would our own glorious emblem, in defense of which mau}^ lives 
had been sacrificed in the ^■er^- fields about us, be substituted for the 
flag of the con[ederac_v ? 

The scene was unique and interesting. The church, built in 
colonial days, .stood in the depths of a forest and l)ore evidence of 
the conflict between the opposing armies of the North and the South. 



The congregation was large, and the oppressive silence was relieved 
only by the breeze wafted through the open windows, and laden \\itli 
the balsamic odors of the surrounding forest. 

The long line of children, aranged according to height, stood in 
front of the chancel, each trailing a small flag in his right hand. 
Then a blind woman, with her pathetic face upturned, played a vol- 
untary softl)' and artisticall}-. Many heads were bowed and an un- 
dertone of hushed emotion pervaded the .sanctuary. 

At the proper time the boy who headed the line waved aloft the 
union jack and paid his tribute to Great Britain. Each succeeding 
one followed the example of the first when a bright bo}- of thirteen 
}ears held dear ' ' Old Glory ' ' above his head and pronounced a trib- 
ute as replete with patriotic fer\-or as ever in.spired a Fourth of July 
orator. Afterward the superintendent, a former officer in the Con- 
federate Army, at who.se .side hung an empt}- .sleeve, announced tliat 
the exercises would close with the .singing of " America," in vvhicli 
the congregation was invited to join. 

There would probably be few difficulties to overcome in placing 

the flag on the school hou.ses of the locality referred to and I think 

the same is true of all .sections. All Southerners are courteous and 

II 



hospitable, and all classes readil}- unite in efforts for the success of 
affairs of general interest. That tlie work of placing the flag on the 
school houses of the South may be undertaken and accomplished 
through the instrumerltalit}^ of the Woman's Relief Corps there can 
be no question. 

Great deference is invariably paid to women, especiall}^ to those 
engaged in works of philanthropy or charity, and to those of genial 
presence and earnest spirit ever}^ encouragement and needed assist- 
ance would undoubtedly be extended. 
August 19, 1S95. 

CAROI.INE N. I.ACY. 



WORK BY COMMITTEE ON PATRIOTIC TEACHING, 

UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE 

Woman's Relief Corps, Washington, D. C, 1895. 



Number of schools using Balch Flag Salute, twelve. 

Pupils taking part, five hundred. 

Schools using Bellamy Flag Salute, twenty. 

Pupils taking part, nine hundred. 

Every public school building di.splays the flag during the sessions 
of the school. 

There is no opposition to the Flag Salute. 

The School Board and Trustees have recommended that the 
Salute be used in the schools of the District of Columbia. 

13 



The Committee is preparing a bill to he presented to Congress, 
asking for an appropriation of $2,500 with which to purchase flags 
for public school buildings ; also asking that ' ' Flag Da}- ' ' l^e made 
a national holidaj'. The flags on the public school buildings at the 
present time are purchased by the scholars in the different schools. 

Flag Day exercises were held in the historic ' ' First Presbyterian 
Qhurch " of Washington, and were attended b}- a large audience, 
hundreds of people not being able to enter on account of the crowd. 
The Woman's Relief Corps had charge of the decorations and pro- 
gram, and the success was very gratifying. It is the intention of the 
Woman's Relief Corps of Washington to have public exemplification 
of the Flag vSalute, with other appropriate exercises, on each recur- 
ring Flag Day. 

The Soldiers of the vicinity have caught the spirit of the times. 
"Troop A, Cavalry," generally called "The President's Troop," 
recently encamped for the summer, saluted the flag every morning. 
The press reported it thus : 

"The President's Troop has a triumphant march to Snicker's 
Gap to Leesburg. At Leesburg and Hamilton the citizens turned 



14 



out en masse to greet the troopers, and it was necessary on many 
occasions to salute the national flag. Troop 'A' found the flag fly- 
ing to welcome them in manj- Virginia towns." 

CHARLOTTE A. KIBBKY, 
MARY M. NORTH, 
ELIZA T. NAYEOR, 
Co))ii)iittce on Patriotic Teaching, appointed by 
Woman'' s Relief Corps President, Washington, D. C. 



15 



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